Evaluation of haptotherapy for patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy at a day clinic

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a haptotherapeutic treatment and its effects on the perceived well-being of patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy in day care. METHODS: The study had a pre-test-post-test semi-experimental design, with 31 patients in the intervention group and 26 in the control group. Patients in the control group were matched with patients in the experimental condition with respect to age, gender, type of cancer, type of chemotherapy, prognosis and the period between pre- and post-test. Standardized questionnaires were used measuring perceived well-being and satisfaction with care (haptotherapy). Indicators of well-being measured were quality of life, mood, meaning in life, general functioning, physical and psychological symptoms, sleep quality and body awareness. The intervention consisted of five haptotherapy sessions of 45 minutes each. Patients in the control condition received standard medical care. RESULTS: Patients were highly satisfied with the haptotherapy treatment, and especially valued the personal attention and the relaxation they experienced. The haptotherapy treatment improved both the perceived general quality of life and the perceived cognitive and social functioning of patients. No improvement was found for mood, meaning in life, general functioning, physical symptoms, sleep quality and body awareness. CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that haptotherapy positively contributes to several indicators of perceived well-being of patients with cancer during the period they receive chemotherapy. More rigorous experimental studies are necessary in this field, especially concerning randomization, number of participants and homogeneity of the sample. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Haptotherapy as a type of complementary medicine is a potentially valuable and effective intervention to raise the well-being of patients with cancer undergoing invasive treatments like chemotherapy.